Automatic retaining and release valve for air brakes



Mar.6, 1923. v 1,447,706

. A A. G..BARSAMIAN AUTOMATIC RETAINING AND RELEASE VALVE FOR AIR BRAKES {Filed '0c't.. 6,; 1921 To all whom it may concern Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

PAT" T OFFHQE.

ALFR D G. BARSAMIAN, or snar'r'nn, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC RETAINING- AND RELEASE VALVE FOR AIR BRAKES.

AppIication filed October 6, 1921. Serial lid-505,886.

Be it known that 1,..ALFRED G. BAR- SAMIAN, a citizen of the United States,1re-

siding at Seattle, in the county of King and State of lVashington, have invented certain neW and useful I'mprovements in Automatic Retaining and Release Valves for Air Brakes, of. which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto automaticretaining. and. release valves for air brake sys tems. In the operation of heavy trains 0 1 long down grades, it is very difficult to keep the speed under control, because the brakes cannot be held on for very long periods. It is therefore necessary to again apply the brakes at intervals by aseries of reductions 1 of the pressure in the brake pipe on the train. This repeatedapplication of the brakes with the consequent reductions of the air pressure, resultsin the lossof air pressure in'the auxiliary reservoirs before the train hasreached the bottom of the down grade. It therefore becomes neces-. sary to release the brakes by increasing the train pipe pressure, in order that the mix iliary reservoir may be recharged. This is a very dangerous undertakingon steep down grades for the reason, that a heavy train might attain such high speed before the brakescan again be applied, that the en gineer may entirely lose control of the train.

To guard against these occurrences,fretaining valves are usually attachedto the exhaust ports of the valves. The purpose of these retaining valves is to hold a certain predetermined pressure on the brakes, while the auxiliary reservoirs are'being recharged. In ordinary service theseretaining valves are rendered inactive by being left open to the atmosphere, but when the train approaches a. long down grade, it is then necessary for the train crew to close these retaining valvesv in each car of the; train.

This, being a rather diflicult aul dangerous process, is often neglected and heavytrains are thus permitted to attain uncontrollable speeds.

The object of this invention is now to obviate these difficulties by first enabling the engineer to control the brake cylinder pressure from his cab and to eliminate the retainingvalves. Another object is to retain the brake cylinder pressure "while recharging the train pipe and the auxiliary reservoir. A third object is to maintain the brake pipe pressure at all times regardless of the brake cylinderpressure and by this means to obtain an increase in the braking power, and it is impossible to overcharge a train of any denomination because'the valve requires just so much air during a release, including the over-charge, due to the frictional resistance of a long brake pipe. It should also be noted that I obtain a graduated release on freight as Well as passenger trains. Lastly, an object is also to provide safer operation of railroad trains by means of the air brakes than What, is now possible, by preventing an engineer from Wasting air due to in proper manipulation of the brake valve.

These objects are attained by means of a mechanism illustrated .inthe accompanying drawing; v

Figure 1 illustrates a typical air brake unit as ordinarily installed on freight cars andwith an automatic retainer and release valve attached Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device; and

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the same. p 7 v v The air brake unit 10 consists of a brake cylinder 11, an auxiliary reservoir 12 with an exhaust port 13 for the unit having a suitable cock for closing and opening the same, a triple valve 14 and a train pipe 15 for the compressed air. 1

To this unit is noW attached a shunt pipe 16 branching out from the main train pipe 15 and provided with a cook 17 for open ing or closing the shunt pipe. At the end of this shunt pipe 16 I attach my retainer and release valve 18 which is connected to the brake cylinder 11 through the pipe 19 with the cook 20;

The bodyZl of the valve 18 is provided with an enlarged cl1aniber22, which has an inlet port 23, towvhich pipe 19 isattached and an exhaust port 24: leading to theat- Inosphere. This exhaust port 24: is controlled by a valve piston lllWlllCh is secured by means of threads or any other suitable means to a plunger 26. Thi s plunger has a Hat faced lower end, against which a diaphragm 28 is locked by means of retaining nuts 29 on the stem of the valve piston 25. It Will thus be seen that the piston 25, the plunger 26, and the diaphragm 28 are held rigidly together. f

Into the upper end of the valve body 21 is threaded abarrel 30which is drawn up tight against a packing ring 40 in the seat 32.

The barrel is provided with an air vent 31. leading from its hollow interior. At its top is inserted, by means of threads, a plug 3a, between which and the upper side of the plunger 26 a coiled compression spring 33 is inserted and acting downwardly so as to press the diaphragm 28 against its seat 32 in the body 21, thereby closing the chamber 22; A cap 35, is intended to screw down tightly against the top. of. the barrel 30 and serve as a'look nut for the plug 34:,after the latter hasbeen set as required and on which itis threaded. The shunt pipe 16 is attached to a neck 36 to one side of the body 21 and this neck hasa passage 37 which leads into the chamber 22.

When installing the retainer and release valve in the air brake system, the downward pressure from the spring 33 is first adjusted by means of the plug 34, so that this pressure is slightly greater than the normal air 7 and the pressure is then confined under the diaphragm 28 in chamber 22 by means of compression spring 33, which exerts greater pressure downwardly on the diaphragm than the normal pressure in chamber 22 and in the train brake pipe. The cook 20 on. the

connecting pipe 19, leading from the brake cylinder 11, is next opened, so that air from the brake cylinder may escape to the atmosphere through exhaust port 24 whenever the valve piston 25 is lifted from its seat.

In order to apply the brakes,air pressure in the train brake pipe 15 is reduced. As a consequence the pressure in chamber 22 will also be reduced so that the exhaust port 24 remains closed, thereby retaining any pressure that may be in the brake cylinder. If

now the brake cylinder pressure is below that in the auxiliary reservoir air will go from the auxiliary reservoir .12 into the brake cylinder '11 by way of thetriple valve 1%, until an equilibrium is reached and the actionlis then. exactly the same as in ordinary brake units. As, however the exhaust port 13 is closed, air cannot exhaust from the brake cylinder except through pipe 19 and port past piston 2:" and through exhaust port'EZ-l. Hence, to release the brakes, it is necessary to increase the air pressure in the valve exhaust port v13 7 said exhaust port.

train .'bralre'pipe .15, thereby also increasing the pressure in chamber22 until the piston controlling the exhaust port 241: is lifted, which is almost instantly, because the brake pipe and auxiliary reservoirs are practically always charged regardless ofthe brake cylinder pressure. This then allows the air from the brake cylinder llto escape through exhaust port 2% instead ofthrough the triple which has already been closed, as previously stated;

It will now be evident, since the train pipe is charged with pressure below that exerted by the spring 33 upon the dia phragm 28, that the valve pistoni25 may be kept closed, thereby holding the brake set, while the auxiliary. reservoirs are ,being charged. It will alsobe noted, that all of the changes in the air pressure are made directly by the engineer in the usual way, without the manipulation by the train crew of the formerly used retaining-valves sit-'u ated in the different'cars composing the train.

I want to emphasize that my retainer and release valve, which is automatic in its action, can'be applied toany existing brake systems now in use. and whichvalve eliminates the .manually" operated retaining valves commonly used and'all the danger accompanying the manipulation of the same.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is: I r

1. In an automatic retainer and release valve for fluid pressure in a cylinder, a body having an inlet'port and a normally closed exhaust port for the fluid in said cylinder and means actuated by the change inffiuid pressure from apressure source for opening 2. In an automatic retainerand release valve for fluid pressurein a cylinder, a body having an inlet port anda normally closed exhaust port for the fluid, a chamber being provided insaid body "having connection with a fluid pressure source, a piston covering said exhaust port, means adapted to seat said piston and including, anelement opposing the pressure of said fluid pressure source. i p

3. In combination with. anair brake hai ing abrake cylinder, an auxiliaryairreservoir and train brake pipe adapted to charge said reservoir, of a, shunt, conduit on. said train brake pipe, a normally closed automatic retainer and release valve in said shunt conduit, a pipe connection between said release valve andgsaid brake cylinder; 7

the airpressure in said conduit,upon ex ceeding the normal line pressure, adapted to open said auton'latic retainer and release ralreto exhaust from said brake cylinder.

4:..1'11 combination with an airbralre hav ing a brake cylinder. an auxiliary air reser-- 4 rob: and a train brake pipe; of a valve'body having an inlet port, an exhaust port and a pressure chamber, a conduit from said counteracting the pressure in said chamber, 10

said means compris ng a plug adjustable in axial direction of said valve piston and a compression spring inserted between said plug and said diaphragm.

ture.

ALFRED G. BARSAMIAN. [1,. s]

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa- 15 

